The LA Clippers (23-26) host the Cleveland Cavaliers (30-21) at Intuit Dome on Wednesday. Cleveland has won six of its last nine games over LA, including a 120-105 win on November 23. However, both teams are red-hot right now and a blockbuster reported trade Tuesday adds even more intrigue to this marquee matchup.
Here are three key storylines to know heading into Wednesday’s matchup:
1. The James Harden-Darius Garland trade
The NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching Thursday afternoon, and these teams were part of the most significant swap thus far. The Clippers reportedly sent James Harden to the Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Exchanging two All-Stars is always a fascinating move, especially with both playing the same position. Harden is averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game while Garland is averaging 18 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game. Garland has also missed the last three weeks due to a lingering toe issue, which has hampered him since the offseason. While neither Garland nor Harden is expected to debut for their new teams Wednesday, there is still some extra juice with this matchup.
2. LA has turned its season around
The Clippers’ season was on the brink when they were 6-21 on December 18, but a miraculous run has them right back in it. Los Angeles has won 17 of 22 games since then and is now ninth in the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard is quietly having the best season of his career to spark that stretch, averaging 27.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game. The Clippers will likely lean on him more now that Harden is out of the picture, and it’ll be intriguing to see who else is asked to step up. John Collins has been a major factor of late, averaging 15.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in that 22-game span.
3. Cleveland is turning the corner
The Cavaliers were the biggest surprise in the NBA last season when they led the Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record. It was going to be a challenge to replicate a season like that, but we’ve seen glimpses of it recently. Cleveland comes into this matchup having won eight of its last 10 outings. One of those defeats was against Oklahoma City, so it’s clear this team is starting to hit its stride. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen run the show for the Cavs, but a breakout from Jaylon Tyson has been an added boost. The 2024 first-round pick is averaging 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists across his last 12 outings. Adding Harden to the mix in the near future will inevitably change the way Cleveland functions on offense, given the Beard’s high usage rate, but the hope is that his elite scoring and facilitating will give the Cavs an extra punch to help vault them up the Eastern Conference standings.
